Samwise Aeronautical Mechanics
Thursday, June 11, 2026
India AAIB Set to Miss One-Year Deadline on Air India 171 Accident Report
India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau will miss the ICAO-recommended one-year deadline for its final report on the Air India Flight 171 crash near Ahmedabad, which killed more than 240 people on June 12, 2025. Investigators say the delay stems from an ongoing GE Aviation engine examination being conducted in the United States that remains incomplete; the report cannot be finalized without those findings. Among disclosures already made, cockpit fuel cutoff switches were found in abnormal positions — a detail central to reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the accident.
Sources: Bloomberg
ILA Berlin 2026 Opens as Germany Approves 15-Year Aviation Strategy
ILA Berlin 2026 opened on June 10 under the shadow of Europe’s collapsed Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter programme. On the same day, Germany’s cabinet approved a new 15-year national aviation strategy aimed at cutting costs and boosting research to address rising expenses and intensifying foreign competition in the sector. Airbus is exploring Saab as a potential new European industrial partner for a next-generation combat aircraft programme following the FCAS collapse. Disruptions to airline traffic stemming from the ongoing Iran conflict also featured prominently in opening-day discussions at the Berlin show.
Sources: Defense News
Leonardo CEO Says Germany Welcome in GCAP but Warns of 2035 Schedule Risk
Leonardo chief executive Lorenzo Mariani said Germany would be welcome to join the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) — the sixth-generation fighter jet collaboration between the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan — but warned that German entry could push back the programme’s planned 2035 first-flight target. Speaking to journalists at ILA Berlin on the show’s opening day, Mariani said, “Europe cannot have too many sixth-generation fighters.” Germany has been actively weighing its options for next-generation combat aviation since the collapse of the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System (FCAS) fighter programme.
Sources: Defense News
MTU Calls on Governments to Preserve FCAS Engine Expertise as EUMET Funding Nears End
MTU Aero Engines called on European governments to preserve the engine expertise built through the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme. At ILA Berlin’s opening on June 10, MTU’s Pfänder told journalists that funding for Phase 1B of the EUMET engine joint venture — a collaboration between MTU, Safran, and ITP Aero developing an adaptive-cycle engine for the sixth-generation fighter — runs out in September 2026. Pfänder said a new framework is needed to secure what has been achieved, and MTU indicated openness to broader industrial cooperation with European partners.
Sources: Aviation Week
Deutsche Aircraft D328MR Targets Special Mission Market with PW127XT-S Engines
Deutsche Aircraft presented details of its D328MR special mission turboprop at ILA Berlin 2026. The aircraft is an extended-fuselage development of the D328, powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127XT-S engines and equipped with Garmin G5000 Prime avionics. A 2.1-metre fuselage stretch over the baseline D328 adds internal volume for mission systems and specialist equipment. The D328MR retains the type’s short take-off and landing (STOL) capability — a key attribute for special mission operations from short or unprepared airstrips in the field. Deutsche Aircraft confirmed first flight has slipped to early 2027.
Sources: FlightGlobal
ERC System Reveals Victor U250 Hybrid VTOL Cargo Aircraft at ILA Berlin
ERC System unveiled the Victor U250, a hybrid vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) cargo aircraft, at the ILA Berlin 2026 air show. The design combines a 150 kW combustion engine with electric motors, offers a payload capacity of 250 kg, and achieves a range of 160 nautical miles. The Victor U250 is being developed in partnership with Rheinmetall. ERC System said the aircraft is targeting its first flight in the third quarter of 2026. The hybrid propulsion architecture is designed to balance range and payload performance for cargo delivery mission requirements.
Sources: FlightGlobal
Do228 NXT Makes ILA Berlin Debut with First Customer Delivery Due After Show
General Atomics AeroTec Systems (GA-ATS) debuted the Do228 NXT twin-turboprop demonstrator at ILA Berlin Air Show 2026, marking the aircraft’s first public air show appearance. The first customer aircraft — for an undisclosed European operator — is scheduled for handover shortly after the Berlin show. GA-ATS managing director Florian Rohe confirmed the Do228 NXT requires no new type certification, as all modifications are classified as minor changes. Powered by two Honeywell TPE331-10 engines, the STOL-capable turboprop carries up to 19 passengers and has a range of up to 3,025 km.
Sources: FlightGlobal, Aviation Business News
Curated by JD · samwise.agency